Artist turns Taiwanese street scenes into miniature models｜Taiwan News

Miniatures have gotten popular in recent years. In this art form, artists make1:64 to-scale models of real scenes. One such artist, Ko Ta-tung, worked as an advertiser for over 20 years. In 2008, he threw himself into making miniature models. A lover of Taiwan’s unique night market culture, Ko creates miniatures from his imagination that are quintessentially Taiwanese. Ko makes sure that every market stall is not just tiny but precise. Let’s take a look at his work...

People bustle around night market stalls, making for a lively scene.

Lee Kuan-kuan
FTV reporter
It looks like drone footage of a typical Taiwanese street scene. But it’s actually an entirely handmade, 1:64 scale model.

If you look closely, even the food on the tables is realistic. Every ingredient of the pan-seared steak is essential. Not a single one is missing. At the stall next door, to make the surface of the pan-fried buns look crispy, the artist has to use different colors.

Ko Ta-tung
Miniature artist
It’s a little difficult to make it so small while also being extremely realistic. I believe that when making something like a steak, you need to have a steak as well as the egg. All the accoutrements of a food stall.

Ko Ta-tung used to work as an advertiser for over 20 years. In 2008, he started posting his artwork online of miniature versions of Taiwanese night markets. He’s loved visiting night markets since he was a kid, and dreamed of creating his own quintessentially Taiwanese art.

Ko Ta-tung
Miniature artist
For this mirror, I thought for two months about how to make it reflective. I tried out so many things. It had to be small and curved, as well as reflective.

It’s not enough to just draw a sketch, print out a 3D model and paint it. In order for a piece to be this realistic and possess a soul of its own, you have to try all kinds of paints and materials, in addition to having a delicate hand.

Wearing a magnifier, he paints on every detail on one by one. This food cart is now complete. To make an entire night market, the next step is for Ko to try making a “boss” of this little fiefdom.

Ko Ta-tung
Miniature artist
I’ll first photograph a few examples. Yeah, like the apron and some hand gestures. Then I can make the feel I want of the people and stall owners.

From visualizing the scene to the finished product, Ko does everything himself to make his imagination concrete. His small workshop is packed with his artwork. One day, he hopes to hold an exhibition to show more people his miniature versions of Taiwanese life.

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